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HOME ON THE RANGE — If you’ve spent any significant time with a dog bred for herding, you know that even without specific herd training, they will instinctively herd other household pets, children and even groups of meandering adults.
In fact, on a recent hike with my brother’s Australian shepherd, Ari, none of us could straggle behind without Ari backtracking to make sure we were all pretty much staying together, whether we wanted to stay together or not.
So it stands to reason that dogs actually trained as herding dogs will attempt to herd groups of any kind of animal at the command of their masters, which is exactly what Robert, an Australian shepherd, does in a new video series called, “Will It Herd?”
For the video, an informal obstacle course is set up in a corral and Robert is set loose on a herd … erm, flock … of eight ducks, and he handles it like the seasoned pro he is.
To add even more charm and a touch of humor, the display is perfectly paired with an homage to a classic Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western soundtrack complete with whistling, whip cracks, trumpet and twangy guitar.
Robert stars in a second and equally delightful “Will It Herd?” video where he attempts to herd a drove of piglets with a little help from a friend named Sage.
